According to the state Department of Health, the average seven-day COVID-19 infection rate rose in the Hudson Valley for the third straight day, up from 4.49 percent on Friday, March 12 to 4.62 percent on Sunday, March 14, the highest rate in the nation, ahead of Long Island (4.40 percent), and New York City (4.15 percent).
A total of 833 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Hudson Valley out of thousands of tests administered in the area on Sunday, officials announced.
Statewide, the average seven-day positive infection rate also rose over the weekend, from 3.16 percent to 3.22 percent.
As of Monday, March 15, there were 463 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Hudson Valley, representing 0.02 percent of the region's population and leaving 44 percent of the region's hospital beds still available.
The state was also reporting 376 of the region's 680 ICU beds as occupied by COVID-19 patients, leaving 40 percent available in case of another surge of the virus.
A breakdown of new cases in each of the Hudson Valley's seven counties is as follows:
- Westchester: 350 new (113,204 total);
- Rockland: 118 (40,988);
- Orange County: 113 (39,575);
- Dutchess: 158 (23,928);
- Ulster County: 37 (10,784);
- Putnam: 41 (8,836);
- Sullivan: 16 (5,033);
- Total: 833 (242,348).
New deaths were also reported in:
- Westchester: 3 (2,149 total);
- Orange: 2 (661);
- Dutchess: 0 (418);
- Ulster: 0 (233);
- Rockland: 1 (700);
- Putnam: 1 (88);
- Sullivan: 0 (62).
- Total: 7 (4,311).
There were 127,005 COVID-19 tests administered in New York on March 14 according to Cuomo, resulting in 4,517 new cases for a 4.57 percent positive infection rate, down from the previous day.
Thirty-one new COVID-19 patients were admitted to New York hospitals, leaving 4,517 still being treated statewide. There are 923 in ICU and 614 intubated.
There were 58 new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
"We know that the vaccine is the weapon that will win this war, but we also know that one of the most critical actions to stopping the spread of COVID is washing your hands, wearing a mask, and practicing social distancing," Cuomo said.
"As more vaccine supply comes to New York and more needles get into arms, we are that much closer to reaching our goals, but we need to remain vigilant. New Yorkers have made incredible progress that we can all be proud of but we are still in the footrace. Until the day we reach the light at the end of the tunnel, we must all remain New York Tough."
Statewide, a total of 1,734,213 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed out of more than 41.3 million tests that have been administered. There have been a total of 39,585 virus-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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